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I have been eagerly anticipating the Arma Hobby Hurricane since it was announced and have done a combined order with a friend of mine to get an expert kit and some overtrees. I also stocked up on Hurricne I decals as now this kit has been released, I can now do all the Hurricanes I ever wanted to. Unfortunately the Hurricanes were delivered to my friends house the day after I went up to see him and haven’t had the chance to revisit him so I did the only logical thing. I ordered another one! This arrived on Monday and it went straight to the top of the stack. Hopefully I can get it built for the Huddersfield Halifax show next month. I’ll be painting it up as P3119 which is an all black Hurricane serving with 87 Sqn with the code VY X at Gravesend late 1940 and will be using the excellent Aviaeology decals from the Vital Storm Early Hurricanes collection part 1.
Lets take a look at what’s in the box.
Box Art.
Main sprue.
Small Sprue
Clear Sprue
Decals, Etch and Masks
I’m really impressed by this kit and think it must be the best 1:72 metal wing Hurricane I out there. Time to offload my Alleycat Metal Wing Hurricane conversion for the Airfix kit as I won’t need it.......
It has some lovely detail. Correct shape wheel wells and a decently shaped canopy and windscreen. Probably the best available in this scale so far.
There are also plenty of options as well with this kit. Choices of prop and spinner as well as a tropical filter.
I can’t wait to get started.....

"Hauptmann Tietzen, my Staffel commander alone has nineteen [sic] [aerial victories]! I witnessed most of his kills. It is fantastic, the way he shoots. He is the boss, he moves us into position and selects the victims, and we have to do little more than cover him...During the last few days the British have been getting weaker, though individuals continue to fight well. Often the Spitfires give beautiful displays of aerobatics. Recently I had to watch in admiration as one of them played a game with thirty Messerschmitts, without itself ever getting into danger; but such individuals are few. The Hurricanes are tired old 'puffers'."
-- Leutnant Hans-Otto Lessing, II.JG/51, 17 August 1940
When they finally come to destroy the earth
They'll have to go through you first
I bet they won't be expecting that
-- OK Go, "Invincible"
On 18 August 1940, the Battle of Britain's hardest day, when the losses for both sides were heaviest, seven Hurricanes of 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron and eight more from 32 Squadron attempted to break through German fighters escorting 58 Dornier 17s of KG2 over Herne Bay. It was an unequal contest. Four jagdgeschwaders of Bf 109s swept in to attack the RAF fighters as they climbed to meet the enemy; Flight Lieutenant George Stoney, leading 501 into action, was separated from his comrades and shot down and killed, one of nineteen members of 501 to lose their lives during the Battle of Britain, more casualties than any other participating squadron. Severely outnumbered, the other Hurricanes were unable to cut their way to the bombers.
But they did not leave empty-handed.
Pilot Officer Pawel Zenker, who had flown fighters in defence of Poland in 1939, where he had shot down a Henschel 126, headed straight for the escorting German fighters and got behind a Bf109. In his combat report, he wrote that the Messerschmitt "turned back towards France and I chased him as he climbed firing from 300 [yards] and closer ranges and about 10 miles over the sea I saw smoke and fire come from the fuselage and he rapidly lost height. The Me 109 did not adopt evasive action but flew straight on until it crashed into the water somewhere near the North Goodwin Lightship." Hauptmann Horst Tietzen, Staffelkapitan of 5./JG51, the fourth-highest scoring pilot in the Luftwaffe, with seven victories over Spain and twenty more claimed since the start of the war, was dead.
Pilot Officer Stefan Witorzeńć, who had been a flying instructor in Poland in 1939, was flying as Red 2 on F/L Stoney's wing when he was bounced by two 109s. Throwing his Hurricane about the sky, he outmaneuvered both of them in a diving, turning fight that dropped in altitude from 14,000 feet to 10,000 feet. As he regained height, he found himself below and abeam a 109; he gave it a long burst of fire from the Hurricane's eight machine guns, at 150 yards. The 109 tried to turn away in a shallow dive, a fatal mistake against a Hurricane. Witorzenc followed hot on its heels and gave it another long burst from dead astern; it burst into flames and crashed near Wingham, where it exploded. Leutnant Hans-Otto Lessing, with four victory claims, had written a letter to his parents the day before, describing the RAF's Hurricanes as "tired old puffers". Now he was dead.
Pawel Zenker was last seen chasing a an enemy aircraft out to sea on 24 August, 1940; aged twenty-five, he never returned to grow old. Perhaps he waits in Avalon with Arthur to this day. Stefan Witorzeńć survived the war and, after a period of imprisonment, served with the postwar Polish Air Force; he died in 1994.
I'll be building three Hurricanes from 501 Squadron using the new kit from Arma. Unfortunately, decals for Zenker (possibly P3208/SD-T) and Witorzeńć's (L1868/SD-D) machines on the day aren't available, but there was a fair degree of mobility in the squadron, and it's likely that of the three decal options I have for 501 (two in the kit and one in the excellent set of Stanislaw Skalski decals), Zenker and Witorzeńć probably flew in at least one of them once.
In any case, the aircraft in question have distinguished pedigrees regardless, having been flown by the Polish aces Stanislaw Skalski DSO DFC (18 victories and offficially Poland's highest-scoring ace) and Antoni "Toni" Głowacki DFC DFM (8 victories), who famously became an ace in a day after shooting down three 109s and two Ju88s on 24 August 1940. Skalski died in 2004 in Poland; Glowacki, in 1980 in New Zealand.
It would perhaps be foolish to think that building what is after all a plastic toy could be in any way a meaningful tribute to the men and boys who flew the Hurricane in the Battle of Britain, whether they were a thousands miles or more from home or whether their parents saw them fight and die in the skies above their childhood homes. But howevermuch an act of love and admiration it can be, let this build be that.
If you wish to hear George Stoney's voice seventy-nine years after his death, he gave a short talk for the BBC on 3 August 1940:
He was twenty-nine and had fifteen days left to live.
I just received my first order of kits from the mailroom here at work. Shall we begin?

I have a question for those who have built or are building the Arma Hobby Hurricane. It could help myself and others who haven't started theirs yet. The instructions say to fit the landing gear legs in the landing gear bay pretty early on, before you stick the lower and upper wings together. From a painting point of view, it would be much easier to 'mask' the landing gear bay for painting if the legs weren't there. The question is therefore, how easy/hard is it to fit the landing gear legs after the wings have been stuck together and painted?
thanks
Mike

Hi guys;
These are my first two kits finalized in 2019.
Excellent kits. Work done in just one week.
I used Yahu panels and the Hataka acrylic set.
Very good start 2019 with lovely kits.
Congratulations Arma Hobby!
Cheers!

PZL P.11c (70015 & 70016)
1:72 ARMA HOBBY
For its time the PZL P.11 was briefly the most advanced fighter of its type in the world. While many nations were still using bi-planes Warsaw based PZL had designed and built an all metal high gull winged monoplane fighter. The high wing provided the pilot with a good field of view and the single wing less drag that the bi-plane fighters of the time. The type drew orders from overseas as well as Poland. The aircraft was ordered by Roumania with the Romanian IAR building them under license as well. However by the time of the German invasion of Poland the type was outclassed by the Bf 109 and the majority of the Polish Air Force was lost fighting bravely against the invasion; though up to 36 were flown to Roumania.
The Kit
This is a new tool kit from ARMA Hobby. This is offered in a "Junior Set" comprising the Kit, PE, and 2 decal options; or the "Expert Set" with kit, PE, Masks and 4 decals options. The kit is well moulded with the right level of detail to my eye in this scale. Construction starts in the cockpit area. The floor is matched with the rudder pedals, the seat and control column are then added to this. PE seat belts are provided. Inside the fuselage halves the tubular support structure is then added, once this is in the cockpit section can then be placed in and the fuselage joined together.
At the top of the fuselage the pilots head rest is then added. On the underside an insert is added which contains the landing gear struts, This is good engineering as the modeller does not have to worry about getting the angle of the struts right, or waiting for them to set. At the front of the fuselage the engine is placed in its cowl and the whole lot is added. The wheels and tail skid are also added. The windscreen is added along with the two part main wing. The two main struts each side can then be added. A few detail parts then complete the build.
Markings
There are printed by Techmod so should pose no problems. 2 marking option are provided for the Junior kit
121 Eskadra Myśliwska 2 /39-K 8.63 (Waclaw Szczepan Krol)
122 Eskadra Myśliwska 8 /142-K 8.34 (Cadet Wladyslaw Chciuk)
For the Expert kit there are 4 options;
113 Fighter Sqn., Pursuit Brig. 10 / 170-N 8.70 (poruczik Hieronim Dudwal)
One of the Sqn.s of the Pursuit Brigade. 3 / 62-W 8.138
131 Fighter Sqn. 4 / 804-P (Lt. Henryk Bibrowicz and 2nd Lt. Lech Grzybowski)
141 Fighter Sqn. 55 / 504-T 8.108 (Cpt. Florian Laskowski)
Conclusion
It is great to see this important Polish Aircraft being kitted by a Polish company. Highly recommended.
Junior Set
Expert Set
Review samples courtesy of

Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (70019)
1:72 ARMA Hobby Expert Set
The Hurricane was at the outbreak of WWII the RAFs most numerous fighter however it has always stood in the shadow to some degree of the Spitfire. Designed by the legendary Sir Sydney Camm. Following an already distinguished record of designing aircraft for the RAF (it is said 84% of the 1930s RAF Flew in his aircraft) he took the latest technology of jointed tubes to make the basic structure of the monoplane Hurricane. The prototype aircraft flew in 1935 and was ordered into production in 1937 with thankfully enough available by the time war broke out. The Hurricane would turn out to be a adaptable design with Naval, catapult, large bore cannon, and bomber versions being developed. The Hurricane would fight in all theatres of WWII with nearly 14500 being built by the end of the war.
The Kit
This is a new tool kit from ARMA Hobby which seems to have garnered good reviews. The kit arrives on a main plastic sprue, a clear sprue, a small sheet of PE, masks and decals. The moulds are crisp with what feels like the right level of detailing and recessed panel lines for this scale. Construction starts with the main wheel well. This is assembled and placed into the single part main upper wing. The main landing gear legs and their retracting struts can then be added. The single part lower wing can then be added on.
Construction then moves onto the cockpit. The seat is added to its armour and PE belts are added. The multipart instrument panel is then built up. Inside the main fuselage halves the tubular framework for the cockpit is added in along with other cockpit controls. The rudder pedal can be added to the floor, then this and the instrument panel along with the seat are added in and the main fuselage can be closed up. The main wing can then be added along with the rudder and tailplanes. he tail wheel and main wheels can now be added (masks are provided for all the wheels).
The main under carriage doors can then be added. The large belly mounted radiator is then built up and added. The small intake is added for the 3 RAF machines, or the large tropical one for the SAAF one. Exhaust and the landing lights are then added. The canopy has small PE handles to add and masks are provided for all the glazing. Both a Rotol & de Havilland propeller are provided, A PE oil collector ring is also provided if the modeller want to use it. Also PE exhaust flame shields are provided if needed,
Markings
There are printed by Techmod so should pose no problems. 4 marking option are provided for the Junior kit
P3059 501 Sqn RAF August 1940
V7234 501 Sqn RAF, August 1940 (Sgt Glowaki with 6 confirmed & 1 damaged enemy aircraft)
R4175 303 Polish Sqn RAF,1940. Sgt Frantisek
284/J 3 Sqn SAAF Kenya 1941
Conclusion
It is great to see this important aircraft being kitted by a new manufacturer. The kit seems to have been very well received by modellers. Very Highly recommended.
Expert Set
Review sample courtesy of

After the 1/48th PZL P.1 kit (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234954879-148-pzl-p1-resin-kit-by-arma-hobby-released) and to fill the gap in releasing models after the delaying of their new 1/48th Iskra ( http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ts11iskra.pl%2F2014%2F07%2Fnowe-plany-iskry%2F&h=sAQEVXoQo&s=1 ), Arma Hobby is now working on a 1/72nd PZL P.1 resin kit.
V.P.

My first finished kit posted on Britmodeller. PZL P.11c built out of the box from test shots. It is Junior Set boxing, with two markings options (decals printed by Techmod) and small photoetched fret (pilots straps and gunsight) included.
Model was finished in 3 days. Painted with Hataka lacquers with some panel shading and weathered with wash (Tamiya black) Oilbrusher (Space Ship Filth) ans some pigments and Tensocroms. Questions and critics welcome.

I'm normally loathe to do RFIs, especially when, as in this case, my own clumsiness lets a good kit down, but this is perhaps a special circumstance, as much of the kit in question was a gift.
Earlier this year, which seems about a hundred years ago at this point, I built some Polish Spitfires. I guess some people liked the thread, because I got a PM from @GrzeM , who had seen I was interested in building IBG's RWD-8 kit; Grzegorz knows some of the people over at Arma Hobby (now lamentably out of the resin game, though I'm excited to see what they'll do in the plastic kit arena), and he'd showed my build thread to them; they offered to send me their corrected resin wing and engine cowl for the kit, and Grzegorz, who knew I wanted to build a Polish air force model (none of IBG's two, soon to be three boxings of the kit have PAF markings, even though for one, a Polish air force aircraft is the box art!) scrounged around and found some exceedingly rare decals to allow me to build one. All of this was exceptionally kind on the part of everyone concerned, especially seeing as, having seen some of my builds, they knew the end result would not necessarily show their products to advantage.
There are a number of errors present here, all of my own making. The only suitable Polish national markings I had were for PZL P.7s and P.11c aircraft, and those are noticeably larger than the ones on the RWD-8. Additionally, I carelessly damaged the serials, which were red, and had to replace them with some WW1 Pegasus RFC serials and the kit RWD.8 rudder markings, which are black and white, respectively. Any other errors you spot are of course also my own. I'm also, as you'll soon see, a poor photographer.
Build thread here.

Hi all,
I will join this GB with Italeri's MiG-29A. I'll do a super-detailed build using Aires' resin cockpit, exhaust nozzles and air-brakes, Arma Hobby's resin nose and closed upper air intakes, and Master's brass pitot tube and static dischargers. I have already all the items, except the static dischargers, which should arrive next week.
I'll build a soviet machine from the 1980's as displayed in the Farnborough Air Show. I'll use the kit's decals.
Here's the box:
IMAG4776
The sprues:
IMAG4777
IMAG4778
The transparent parts, which look good enough, as I'll pose the canopy open:
IMAG4779
The decals, which don't come with many stencils:
IMAG4780
The resin cockpit, which also comes with a PE fret for the instrument panel and other details:
IMAG4781
The resin exhaust nozzles, which also come with a small PE fret for the flame holders:
IMAG4782
The resin air-brakes:
IMAG4783
The resin nose cone and closed upper air intakes:
IMAG4784
As I will display the aircraft in a parked position, with open canopy and air-brakes, should the main and upper intakes be all closed?
Finally, the brass pitot tube:
I will need some time to plan the build, especially regarding the insertion of the resin parts and the detailed painting of the cockpit, before I get back here with progress reports.
Thanks for looking.
Jaime

After its soon to be released 1/48th PZL TS-11 Iskra resin kit (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234954879-148-pzl-p1-resin-kit-by-arma-hobby-release-april-2014/?hl=iskra#entry1603053), Arma Hobby is preparing a 1/72nd kit from the same aircraft.
Source: http://www.armahobbynews.com/2014/04/pzl-p-1-and-ts-11-iskra-news/
V.P.

Hi!
I made a fast diorama with new PZL P.7a from Arma Hobby. I bought overtrees kit and builded it without any additions except dampers tapes. Support is from wood, cloud is a painted rock, air streaks are from cotton swab soaked with CA glue and number 7 is made from plastic plate. Kit is nice but needs cleaning and puttying some plastic recesses. After that work everthing fits perfectly.